Problems of Benjamin Britten’s Works in English and Russian Musicology

Main Article Content

Nataliya A. Panova
Evgeniya R. Skurko

Abstract

The article represents by itself an analytical review of B. Britten’s creative work studies from the 1940–1960s first English-language publications to later works of both English and domestic scholars. The main task is to summarize the ideas about Britten’s personality that were developed in early historical, biographical and musical analytical works, and to determine on their basis the musical and philosophical concept of the composer’s creative work as a whole. As a result, a periodization of foreign (English-language) and domestic “Britten studies”. In the context of Britten’s creative activity, a range of problems which were raised by such researchers as I. Holst, P.M. Young,
A. Tauragis, L. Kovnatskaya, E.W. White, A. Kendall is outlined. The article identifies and updates dominant ideas and concepts related to the composer’s heritage. Particular attention is paid to the phenomenon of “occasional music”. The emphasis is made on the opera genre, which is central both in the composer’s work and in musicological reflections, and the problem of Britten’s innovation in this area is stressed.


Keywords: Britten, biography, Holst, opera, occasional music, Young, Tauragis, Kovnatskaya, White, Kendall.

Article Details

How to Cite
Panova Н. А., & Skurko Е. Р. (2024). Problems of Benjamin Britten’s Works in English and Russian Musicology. Music Scholarship / Problemy Muzykal’noj Nauki, 55(2), 38–51. https://doi.org/10.17674/2782-3601.2024.2.038-051
Section
Contemporary Musical Art
Author Biographies

Nataliya A. Panova, Orenburg State L. and M. Rostropovich Institute of Arts, Orenburg, Russia

The postgraduate student

Evgeniya R. Skurko, Ufa State Institute of Arts named after Zagir Ismagilov, Ufa, Russia

Dr.Sci (Arts), Professor, Music Theory Department